Motor vehicle body assemblies are constructed and arranged to support and retain vehicle components and define a passenger cabin in which the driver and one or more passengers may sit in use of the vehicle. The shape and size of vehicle bodies depends upon several factors such as the desired exterior and interior size and aesthetics, aerodynamics, the location and size of included components, and the like.
Portions of the vehicle body assembly, may become deformed in certain vehicle impact events. Among these impact events are tests conducted by governmental, insurance and other agencies to determine the effect of certain impact events on different vehicles. These impact event tests may include full frontal vehicle collisions, offset frontal vehicle collisions, side impact collisions, rear collisions, and others. Some agencies use the data collected by these tests to issue ratings of vehicle body performance and structural integrity, and these ratings purport to be an indicator of the protection afforded to passengers of the vehicle in incidents similar to the tested conditions.